E-Cig Regulations Could Affect Effectiveness

A new study published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research reveals that regulations on e-cigarettes may impact their effectiveness as a cessation tool.

Study authors analyzed data from a longitudinal cohort survey carried out between 2010 and 2014 of over 1,700 smokers located in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. At the time of the surveys, the US and UK imposed few restrictions on e-cigarettes, while Canada and Australia imposed significant regulations on the sale and use of e-cigs.

Comparing respondents’ quit attempts, cessation aids used, and how long smoking abstinence lasted between the two sets of countries, the authors found that sustained smoking abstinence with e-cigarettes was more likely in countries with less regulation on e-cigs.

In the US and UK, 73% of quit attempts using e-cigarettes reported sustained cigarette abstinence, compared to 32% in Canada and Australia.

Dr. Hua-Hie Yong, lead author at Cancer Council Victoria, said the study’s findings show that “the benefits of [e-cigarettes] for smoking cessation may be limited to those who reside in an environment where there are few restrictions on the retail sale and marketing of [e-cigarettes].”

“Developing an appropriate regulatory framework for [e-cigarettes] should be a priority so that the benefits of [e-cigarettes] for smoking cessation can be realized. Where the regulatory environment supports it, given the popularity of [e-cigarettes], smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit using current approved methods should be offered the option of using [e-cigarettes] as short-term aids to quit smoking or replacing smoking with [e-cigarettes] for harm reduction purposes.”